The Master of This Castle
by Shelly Lane
Summary: When another king summons Adam (political/diplomatic purposes), Belle is the sole master of the castle. She does her best to improve the lives of the servants and to welcome unexpected visitors. Disney owns everything. Yes, I purposely tried to form very slight parallels to the events of the movie. Belle's POV.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Once upon a time in a faraway land, another king sent for Adam.

"Will you really be gone for so long?" I asked.

My husband smiled. "I'll be home before you know it. Besides, this is your chance to be the master of this castle all by yourself. When I come back, all the servants will probably be singing about the books they read instead of doing their chores!"

I closed my eyes as he took me into his arms. I could feel the strength behind the hands that gently rubbed my back and stroked my hair. How was it possible that the same arms that held me now had once destroyed furniture and defeated a pack of wolves?

"Take the mirror," I advised. "You'll be able to see how things are going here while you're away."

"You'll need it to keep an eye on the servants, not to mention our children." Adam sighed. "Sometimes I'd swear the children behave better than the servants." He kissed me. "Goodbye, Belle. Take care while I'm gone."

I watched until the carriage was out of sight before I went back inside the castle. How strange it was thinking that I alone was the master! I had never been in charge of the castle by myself before.

Cogsworth tapped his fork against his glass during dinner that evening. "Attention! Your attention, everyone, please."

"Will you get to the point already?" Lumière muttered under his breath.

"As you're aware," Cogsworth began, "King Adam will not be with us for the next few weeks, and I know I speak for everyone when I say I wish that he may have a safe journey, and we all shall do our best to make life easier for our dear queen..."

"He's bluffing!" one of the caretakers of the royal forest exclaimed.

Everyone stared at him.

"No use fooling yourselves," he continued. "Cogsworth will make a long, pompous speech about what good servants we're going to be and how we'll all work together to do our respective chores and making sure everything's going well, but I've got half a month's wages to prove my own words. It won't be any longer than a few hours before the first unkind comment is made, no longer than twelve hours before the first argument breaks out, and not even a full day before we've resumed our usual habits!" He paused before adding, "Does anyone deny my claim?" 

Cogsworth looked shocked. "Where do you find the audacity to make a biting remark to your own head of household?!"

"If you think that was a biting remark," commented Louve, another forest worker, "you ought to see what my brother did to his own master."

Her brother glared at her. 

"Queen Belle is a wonderful woman," Louve remarked. "Any man would give his right arm for her, and King Adam almost did! Is it not so, Loup?"

Loup's hazel eyes had a slightly amber tinge. "Louve, if we weren't in Her Majesty's presence..."

"You'd draw your sword," she finished for him. "Do as you will, brother of mine. I'm not some peasant girl you can frighten just by making a few threats."

"And we all know how __kindly__ and __graciously__ you escorted Her Majesty's father, Monsieur Maurice, to the castle," Loup replied. "Did he thank you for your courtesy when you opened the gate for him and politely led him through by the hand? Did he enjoy the amiable conversation you had with him as you led him through the forest?"

For a moment, Louve looked as if she had been slapped; then her eyes sparkled as if she were about to laugh.

"__Bien dit__!" she complimented. "I deserved no less." 

Although they seem to quarrel often, Loup and Louve know they couldn't handle being in charge of a forest without each other. They actually work well together; they just can't resist any opportunity for sibling rivalry.

Lumière and Cogsworth, on the other hand, really do seem to enjoy finding faults with each other, and as a result, sometimes their chores are accidentally left unfinished.

Before I fell asleep that evening, I looked in the mirror to see how Adam was doing. He was pacing in a guest room that had been reserved for him.

"Attempt to act like a gentleman," he muttered to himself. "Attempt to act like a gentleman. Attempt to act like a gentleman." He sighed and massaged his head as if trying to relieve a migraine. "But they are being so __difficult__!"

Poor Adam! After all the problems he seemed to be having, he didn't need to come home to a castle of unruly servants. I promised myself that I would once again do what I had done when Adam and I first met: start the process of making decent human beings out of everyone in the castle and improving myself in the process.


	2. Bonjour

**Bonjour**

I thought perhaps some of the servants felt taken for granted, so I made up my mind to rise early enough to greet each of them personally and have a brief conversation with them. I went to the kitchen first because I knew the servants there would be preparing breakfast.

"__Bonjour__!" I smiled. "What can I do for you?"

They stared at me as if they thought I was joking with them.

"The food smells wonderful! Can I help?"

The chef frowned. "Why do you want to help us?"

"Doesn't Adam ever lend a hand?" I asked. 

"Why would he?" The chef continued working. "He is a good master, but he is still the master. A master does not do a servant's job, nor does a servant try to rule a kingdom."

"I think a good master takes time to appreciate good servants," I replied. "How can I help?"

The servants still looked confused, but they handed me a bowl containing some sort of mixture, and I began stirring.

"Has anyone read any good books lately?" I asked as I worked.

"I don't think anyone here knows how to read," the chef responded. "We do not get paid to read. We get paid to cook."

"Don't you even read recipes?"

He looked insulted. "A great chef does not read recipes! He understands food! He knows by heart how to prepare his masters' favorite dishes, and he knows by instinct how to create something he has never before attempted to prepare! He experiments, and he succeeds as a true artist!"

Lumière entered the room. "Is breakfast almost ready to serve?"

"It will be another half hour," the chef answered.

"__Bonjour__, Lumière!" I greeted. "Is there anything I can help you do when I finish my work in the kitchen?"

He tilted his head slightly. "Is this a joke?"

"I'm serious," I insisted. "Adam and I don't take enough time to show that you're more than our servants; you're our friends, and we want to make your lives easier in any way we can. Today I'm showing that we don't take all your hard work for granted, and we really do appreciate all you do around the castle."

Lumière frowned. "Well, if you insist on doing some sort of work, I suppose I could leave a few candles for you."

"Candles?"

"Every morning before the other servants wake up, I have to light candles in the corridors so the servants who rise before dawn do not stumble in the dark," he explained. "Then when the sun has come up, I draw back the curtains and put out the candles. I do something similar right before everyone goes to bed, but I cannot leave the candles burning after we have all fallen asleep, or there could be an accident that starts a fire in the castle."

I nodded, and as soon as I had finished helping the servants in the kitchen, I began helping with the candles. By the time I had put out the final one, breakfast was ready. I smiled as I took my place at the table. 

"Good morning!"

The servants stared at me as if they couldn't believe anyone could be so cheerful this early in the day.

"Does anyone need help with their chores today?" I asked.

Cogsworth chuckled slightly. "Thank you. Thank you so much for your generous offer, but I believe I manage to run this household efficiently without any assistance, if I do say so myself." 

I turned to Loup. "What about the forest? Is there anything I could do there?"

He shook his head. "Your Majesty's offer is greatly appreciated, but your hands are those of a proper lady. They have no place risking the hazards of a forest. Besides, it wouldn't do at all to have the queen doing the work of someone who was only hired as an alternative to execution!"

"Are you sure?" I smiled. "I used to be a peasant, you know. I'm not afraid of a little hard work."

"I'm sure," Loup replied. "A good servant does not throw his masters to the wolves!"

"__Oui__, Loup! You should know!" exclaimed Louve.

Loup's eyes were beginning to go from hazel to amber, but instead of making a sharp retort to his sister, he lowered his head respectfully and humbly apologized for using that expression. 

Angelique said that I would be welcome to decorate the castle with her if I would like, and I thought that sounded like a great idea. As we worked, Maestro Fife played music for us.

"Have you read any good books lately, Angelique?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Who has the time to read? I used to read a little when I was younger, but now I'm far too busy with my work." 

I felt sorry for the servants. In the town where I lived before I met Adam, the villagers had worked in order to have enough money to live, but it seemed our servants lived to work. No wonder they quarreled so often! They had few chances, if any, to relax or have fun! If Adam and I had only known, we would have tried to help them years ago.

I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, but somehow, I had to help the servants find a bit of leisure time.


	3. Off to the Fair

**Off to the Fair**

Several days later, a stranger arrived at the castle.

"May I help you, __monsieur__?" I asked when I met him at the door.

Recognizing me as the queen, he bowed. "Your Majesty, I am told the inventor Maurice lives here. I would like a word with him." 

"Come inside," I invited. "If you'd like to sit here, I'll bring him."

The man nodded and thanked me. I smiled politely to our guest before I went looking for Papa. I found him in the library and asked if he had been expecting company.

"Not at all, Belle," he answered. "Why?"

"There's a man in the other room who wishes to speak with you." 

Papa looked confused, but he went to talk to the visitor. "Did you want to talk to me, sir?"

"You are Maurice the inventor?" the man asked.

Papa nodded.

The stranger shook his hand enthusiastically. "My congratulations to you, sir! Your invention is without a doubt the best I've seen in all my years as judge!" 

"Judge?" 

The man seemed confused. "You are Maurice, aren't you? And that is your invention outside, is it not?"

Papa looked out the window. "It is."

"You entered it in the fair yesterday, but you were too busy to attend, so you sent your niece, and she showed me some of the sketches for your other inventions, and you, sir, are nothing less than the most clever inventor in France, perhaps in all of Europe, and soon the entire world will bless your name because of the contributions your inventions make to societies everywhere!"

"I don't understand," Papa responded. "I always intended to go to the fair, but something always came up."

"But your niece was there!" the judge insisted. "She held out an entry form with your signature on it! You had to have entered your invention in the fair, and now you've won first prize, and you're as good as world famous!"

"But I don't have a niece, and I didn't sign an entry form!"

"What did this woman look like?" I inquired.

"She was comely enough. She lowered her eyes demurely when she spoke, so I could never tell what color they were, and she was very soft-spoken. I'm not sure what color her hair was either; she wore a veil, as do many women of the aristocracy. She also wore gloves lined with real fur, and her dress was the color of burgundy. It hid her shoes, so I never saw what kind she had. She appeared to be around the age of His Majesty, King Adam, perhaps a few years younger or slightly older if not the exact age."

"What did she say her name was?"

"She didn't."

I turned to Papa. "Do you know anyone like that?"

"No one comes to mind," he replied. "I only wish I could find out who this person was and thank her."

We invited the judge to stay for lunch. When the caretakers of the royal forest came into the castle after their morning chores in the woods, they stared at our visitor.

"This is..." I began.

"The judge from the fair!" one finished incredulously.

"Monsieur Maurice is going to be a famous inventor now, just like he always wanted!" a second exclaimed. "Who'd have thought?!" 

"Who'd have known?!" added another. "And who'd have guessed it was possible to atone?!"

"One simple deed," the first forest worker commented, "and nothing more." He sighed. "But it's a shame we didn't think of this before."

I crossed my arms. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about someone entering Papa's invention in the fair, would you?" 

"How could we?" one of them queried. "The fair was yesterday, and we never left the forest!"

Papa never found out who had entered his invention in the fair. I have a feeling the servants knew, but none of them ever said anything.


	4. Be Our Guest

**Be Our Guest**

"Beau, do you want to play magic castle?" my daughter asked her brother.

He grinned. "Of course, Amandine! I'll be the beast, and you can be the peasant girl!"

She nodded, hurried outside, and timidly entered the castle. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"What are you doing here?!"

Amandine stood akimbo. "You have three seconds to give me back my father before I break your ugly face!"

"You found your way here! Find your way back home!" Beau began pushing his sister toward the door.

"Wait! I'll be your prisoner instead."

He pretended to think it over. "Well, alright! But you will join me for dinner!"

"I will not!"

I enjoyed watching my children play, but I wasn't expecting any other relatives to visit. I was surprised when Adam's parents arrived at the castle.

Adam's mother frowned. "How foolish of Adam to leave a peasant in charge of the castle during his absence! No doubt you know nothing about how a proper royal must behave and what your duties are as queen!"

"Most improper!" My father-in-law crossed his arms. "I hear the sound of laughter! You don't give your servants wages for making jokes, do you? I pay mine only for being of service!" He stared at the decorations that had taken Angelique hours to arrange. "Surely you don't allow your servants to spend so much time with such frivolities! How do they ever get their chores done?!"

They seemed to have a problem with everything I did. I was too lenient with the servants; a good master ought to give commands rather than requests. I spent too much time reading; a good woman had no need for trying to learn anything if she would just obediently submit to the wisdom of her husband.

Cogsworth gave enough orders, but he needed to be harsher to demand everyone's respect whether it was given willing or not. Lumière was a gracious host, but it wasn't at all proper that he placed the needs of guests before his own duties. Fife was an excellent musician, but music was a waste of time; someone who truly cares about benefitting the kingdom would learn a trade such as fletching arrows or baking bread rather than engaging in such idleness.

"Since you obviously don't know how to run this castle properly," my mother-in-law concluded, "you needn't trouble yourself about it any longer. My husband and I will be the masters until Adam returns."

Needless to say, the servants didn't care for that idea at all.

"Were I not head of household," Cogsworth began, "I would suggest that we make sure our visitors wish to return to their own castle as soon as possible."

"If you have an idea, be my guest!" exclaimed Lumière.

The other servants stared in disbelief.

"Lumière and Cogsworth agree on something!" Fife clasped both hands over his heart in shock. "I never thought I'd live to see the day!"

"They are right," Angelique stated. "We must do something, or we won't have a moment of peace until King Adam returns!"

"What should we do?!" La Plume queried. "We've got to stop them before they criticize the wolves!"

The other servants shuddered.

"They're sure to find plenty of faults with Louve," Babette commented. "I have a feeling they won't approve of a woman who wears men's clothing, carries weapons, works outdoors, and is in authority over about a dozen employees, all of them men. Then there's her temper, the way she always speaks her mind, her natural insolence…"

"The wolves don't have to know!" Lumière answered. "We will find a way to make our guests return home before the wolves even find out we have visitors at the castle!"

"An idea comes to mind." Webster motioned for the other servants to lean in a bit closer so he would be able to explain quietly. "In ancient Rome, there was a tradition that once a year, masters would serve their slaves. It was some kind of holiday. Anyway, I suggest we pretend that we also celebrate this festival and that this is the day we do it!"

It sounded like a good plan, and none of the other servants had any ideas, so they agreed to it.

Cogsworth bowed graciously to my in-laws. "We are honored that you would visit our castle on such an important holiday. This is the one day each year where masters must attend their servants."

Adam's father scowled. "Does my son allow such foolishness?!"

"It was his idea!" Lumière answered. "Would you have us break such an honorable tradition, one set in place by _le roi_ himself?! If such a celebration gives my masters pleasure, then who am I, a mere servant, to demand that they change anything?!"

"Most certainly!" agreed Cogsworth. "We find this yearly custom just as unusual as you surely do, but good servants uphold rather than question their masters' commands."

My mother-in-law sighed. "I suppose Adam's a grown man and can make his own decisions about how to control his castle, but I for one won't stand such absurdity! Come, my husband. I can see our helpful advice would be wasted here!"

They left less than fifteen minutes later.

"I can't believe you two actually worked together for once!" Mrs. Potts remarked.

"Nor can I!"

The other servants seemed startled when the caretakers of the royal forest entered the room.

"We wouldn't have our jobs very long if we didn't know who came through our forest at what time," one of them explained, "but the bosses told us how you came up with a plan to try to spare us from a dreadful migraine by keeping us oblivious."

"We want to thank you," another stated. "It's the thought that counts."

Before they could react, the other servants were surrounded and pulled into hugs by grateful forest workers. I wished Adam was there. He would have been amazed to see his entire household at peace with each other.

Of course the peace was shattered five minutes later, but that's a different story.


	5. Wolf Attack

**Wolf Attack**

When I woke up one morning, the castle was quiet. There were no sounds of breakfast being prepared, and I couldn't hear the voices of my children as the servants helped them get ready for lessons with the royal tutors. No one squabbled or complained, and there were no insults.

I knew something was wrong, so I grabbed the mirror that Adam had left. "Show me the servants."

Instantly I saw a crowd of servants around the kitchen door. Just inside the kitchen was an animal I had prayed I would never see again.

"What are we going to do when _la maitresse_ finds out there is a wolf in the castle?" Lumière asked softly.

"Never mind that!" Cogsworth whispered as loudly as he dared. "How did it get here?! Loup and Louve pride themselves on the fact that the area of forest surrounding the castle has no dangerous animals in it!"

The wolf ignored them. It continued eating any and all food it could find in the kitchen.

I wanted to lock myself in the West Wing until the wolf was gone. Every shadow seemed to conceal something lurking through the room. However, a good queen must not desert her servants, so I went to the kitchen.

By the time I arrived, the wolf was gone. Somewhere in my castle, there was a dangerous wild animal, and I had no idea where it had vanished. When I asked the servants, they said they weren't sure either. They had decided to hide themselves as soon as the wolf was finished eating.

"Did it snarl?" I asked.

"It acted nonchalant," Babette responded. "It just ran down the corridor without a sound."

"We've got to find it and shut it in a room," I stated. "Then we'll get the forest workers to deal with it. To be safe, we should work in groups of…" I frowned. "How many people does it take to outfight a wolf if necessary?"

"Groups of five should work," La Plume remarked. "If we need any help, we can yell for another group."

"Do you suppose it's rabid?" queried Fife. "The forest workers say it's not in a wolf's nature to walk into someone's home like this. Even if the castle gates and doors were left open by some accident, a wolf wouldn't enter the castle, would it?"

I found the wolf in the castle library. To my horror, my children's arms were around the creature's neck! I wanted nothing more than to rush forward and save my children, scolding them for their carelessness afterwards, but I dared not make sudden movements or raise my voice; it might have startled the wolf and caused an attack.

Amandine smiled at me. "Did you ever see a dog like this before, Maman?"

As a matter of fact, I had. If it hadn't been for Adam, that would have been the last thing I ever had the chance to see.

"I wonder what everyone's doing around the library." One of the forest workers approached our group. "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

"My children are hugging a wolf!" I answered.

He tilted his head in confusion. "A wolf?" He noticed the creature. "Oh! That? You needn't worry. It's just a dog, _maitresse_. Its owner bought it from a friend in Germany, where this kind of dog is used to help farmers herd livestock. They're usually black and tan, but the fur isn't always that color, as you've no doubt noticed from the silver and white coat that this one has. Anyway, the owner offered a gold piece if we would watch the dog for a couple days."

I nearly laughed. "Of course! I should have known it was only a dog!"

"If Your Majesty will permit a personal question, are you still afraid of wolves?"

"Don't I have reason to be?"

"The bosses can help," he offered. "They know a way that might help you overcome your fear. It's good to use caution around wolves because an unhealthy or provoked animal will attack, but they usually aren't dangerous if you give them enough space."

"Kind of like Adam before the spell was broken?" I joked.

Some of the servants laughed under their breath.


	6. Something There

**Something There**

"Maman?" Beau climbed onto my lap. "There was an enchantress that turned Papa into an ugly monster, right?" He rested his head against me. "Is there anyone else like that? Witches with gingerbread houses or fairy godparents or anything like that?"

The thought had never occurred to me, but it made perfect sense. What if the wild animals that lived in the woods were only half the problem? What if our forest also had magical beings?

"Don't worry," I assured him with more confidence than I felt. "They won't bother us."

Since the weather was warm, I helped the groundskeepers plant flowers. I'd never realized just how much work it was to keep the castle gardens looking beautiful.

"This is awful!" One of them stared into a nearby fountain. "There's something here that wasn't here before!"

"What is it?" Another hurried over. "Live fish?!"

"It's alright," I answered. "In some kingdoms, having live fish in a fountain is considered very elegant."

"Perhaps if they're goldfish, Your Highness." The groundskeeper frowned as he stared at the water. "These are mullets, shads, eels, and other fish one might find in a river!"

"How'd they get here?" I wondered aloud.

I decided to ask the other servants if they knew anything about it. Twenty minutes later, I finally had an answer. The chef had decided to make fish for dinner, and to make sure they were fresh, he had kept them in the fountain until he was ready to cook them.

Speaking of food, the birds were probably hungry. I always enjoyed leaving seeds for the birds that flew around the grounds of the castle. However, as I stepped outside, I noticed the birds perched on something that resembled a scarecrow, but instead of being frightened, the birds seemed drawn to it. When I looked closer, I realized that it had Adam's clothes!

One of the groundskeepers bowed. "We thought it might make you feel better if you could feed birds with the beast again."

I tried not to laugh. They use any excuse they could find to make something that resembled a beast. Their snow sculptures in the winter tend to be very creative.

"You know," a groundskeeper began, "out of all the trees that surround the castle, the ones that grow on grounds are my favorite."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"We can do whatever we want with them, and there's nothing the wolves can do about it!" He grinned. "When we're in the forest, we hear long speeches about how we can't pick berries from this bush or use that tree for firewood or sit in this patch of shade, but they can't tell us what to do with the trees on grounds!"

"Why don't you like them?"

He frowned. "Who?"

"The caretakers of the royal forest. I've noticed that the servants who work inside the castle tend to shun the servants who work in the forest, and I want to know if there's anything I can do to make peace."

I knew this wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done, so after dinner that evening, I gathered all the servants together. It was time to talk out any differences so we could all be closer together as friends.


	7. Kill the Beast

**Kill the Beast**

"Make sure you have plenty of exquisite dishes," Cogsworth instructed the chef. "We're to have a special visitor at the castle tonight!"

"Who is it?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. Ask Lumière."

I went to find Lumière. "Cogsworth says we'll have company this evening. Do you know who it might be?"

"Ask the groundskeepers. I heard it from them."

I stepped outside to ask them.

"I'm not sure," one replied, "but he should be here this evening."

Angelique spent the day making sure everything in the castle was even more beautiful than usual. The servants really outdid themselves making sure the floors were spotless and shining everything until it gleamed. Almost everyone changed into their finest apparel. I doubted there was a speck of dust anywhere in the castle.

Just before sunset, the caretakers of the royal forest dragged in a man wearing a hooded cloak.

"We caught a poacher!" Louve drew her sword and placed it on the man's shoulder, commanding him to kneel before his queen. "This peasant was setting traps in our forest! I warned him that our masters wouldn't take kindly to his theft of their game!" She lightly struck the man's back with the broad side of her sword. "I'll leave you to deal with him." She rested the point of her sword on the man's right arm before walking away.

Loup rolled his eyes. He had seen his sister's final gesture for what it really was: a reminder of what he had done to Adam's right arm years ago.

"You are welcome here, _monsieur_!" Lumière helped our guest to his feet. "Why don't you sit by the fire, and Mrs. Potts will bring you some tea? We'll be having dinner shortly, and you will be most welcome to join us!"

The visitor nodded politely as a way of silently thanking Lumière.

Cogsworth introduced himself. "I am Cogsworth, head of household. If there's anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, do be sure to let us know."

I walked over to where our guest was sitting. "Have we met before? You seem familiar to me."

He started laughing. "After all our years of marriage, I'd hope so!"

"Adam!" I knelt beside his chair so I could embrace him as he leaned forward. "I've missed you so much!"

He stroked my hair. "Seeing you again is the best part of coming home." Adam kissed me. "How did you enjoy being the castle's only master?"

"I like it better when we work together as masters."

"So do I." After a pause, he added, "I should go find the children."

I turned to the servants. "You knew he would be home this evening, and none of you told me?!"

"We wanted it to be a surprise!" Lumière replied.

Louve pretended to be shocked. "What have I done?! I have drawn my sword to challenge my own master! Oh, I'm a disgrace! Behold the regicidal traitor!"

Loup's eyes narrowed. He was fully aware that once again, she was enjoying her chance to irritate him by bringing up his past mistakes. However, he kept his mouth shut.

"I know you're too good of a servant to threaten anyone," Adam began, placing a hand on Loup's shoulder, "especially in the presence of your masters, but you see, I just got home, and Belle and I are so happy to see each other that we probably won't notice anything that happens within the next ten minutes."

Understanding his meaning, Louve hurried out the door. Loup followed, and I knew that in less time than it takes to tell about it, he would have some sort of revenge. It would be easier to win a race against your own shadow than it would to outrun Loup, but I wasn't worried about Louve. She could certainly hold her own in a fight if it came to that. Besides, those two always find ways to aggravate each other, but neither ever means any real harm.

The rest of the evening was peaceful until after we went to sleep. At about midnight, Adam and I were awakened by the sound of pounding at our door. Several of the servants were yelling: "_Tuons la_ _bête! Tuons la bête!_"

Adam sighed. "Belle, did you put them up to this?"

"Of course not!" I answered. "Why would I tell them to wake us up in the middle of the night?"

He got up and opened the door. "_Quoi_?!"

Fife smiled. "It was La Plume's idea, _maître_. We just wanted to make sure you were welcomed home properly."

I knew then that things had definitely gone back to normal.


End file.
